VIJAYAWADA: Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh would be developed as 'smart cities'.

He also said that Vijayawada, Guntur and Tenali would be provided Metro rail services.

Notably, the state government had recently announced that the new capital of Andhra Pradesh would be located "around Vijayawada".

"As a part of the Centre's decision to develop 100 smart cities in the country for making urban life comfortable by improving living conditions there, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam in AP would get a chance to be developed as smart cities," Naidu said.

He was participating in a seminar on 'Smart Cities' conducted by the Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.

The smart cities would be required to provide round-the-clock drinking water, power, transport and health services at affordable prices to the public, he said.

The development of a smart city needs political will and guts to enforce proper taxation system, implement good governance, weed out corruption and check unauthorised constructions, he said.

He also appealed to the public to pay taxes properly to avail the amenities and services.

The Centre has so far not decided on the places for the smart city project. The state governments have to propose the names for it, he said.

However, the four metros, the capitals of states and major cities and their surrounding areas would be developed as smart cities, he said.

Lok Sabha MP G Ganga Raju and Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry President M Murali Krishna were among others present on the occasion.

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